Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - Brake lights & turn indicators - impossible to find

I need a good brake light. I am going with a 12v headlight and will use this also for a brake light and turn signals..

But it's really hard to find a brake light that actually works as a brake light when you pull the brake lever.

The only ones I do find are very cheap things made from china I won't buy.. They have a switch that connects to the brake cable that activates the brake light when you pull the lever. This is the technology I want because it's easy to install.

Turn indicators are another nightmare. I can find the 12v turn signal bulb parts cheap but I have no way to turn them on and would need a handle bar side light to show they are on as well as a "tink tink tink".. just like in a car dashboard. I cannot believe no one makes good reasonable priced products for these items.

There is this all in one - but it's junk and only runs off of AA batteries.
http://www.amazon.com/Acclaim-Signal-Directional-Brake-Bicycle/dp/B000SMCY0E I will not buy this - it's only 5 inches long. I need the turn signals to be a lot farther apart than this before i would trust it to be a turn indicator.

I hope someone can help.

Do you really think ANYONE will care if a BICYCLE has brake and turn lights? Cagers will still want to drive you off the road.

IMO what you want is not being produced due to inadequate demand and too much weight added to a bike with them. Unless required by law they are not likely to be produced either. Such items have not been found necessary in countries with much higher city and commuter riding rates than here such as Holland, Germany and Scandinavia. The bicycle is a simple device and most want to keep it that way.

I am afraid that such lighting has pretty much been a DIY project done by the relatively few riders who feel that it is necessary.

Do you really think ANYONE will care if a BICYCLE has brake and turn lights? Cagers will still want to drive you off the road.

Your from New York. The rudest city on the planet. I know. I lived there. No those jack wagons won't give a whip but people in other places do. I go 20 to 30 mph on my bike regularly. At night, I need to see and be seen for safety. They need to know my intentions so they can act accordingly and not get in my way. My city does not have bike lanes and we have to by law share the street with cars. They KNOW this and accept it. Yes, people will care and do. The notion that they do not is utter silliness.

Are you a one-armed cyclist? If not, then just signal with your arms, like god intended.

If you re-heeeely want them, PM me and I'll find time to go into detail on how. Haven't made them before, but I have quite a bit of experience with electronics, it wouldn't be very difficult.

If you want a brake light, get an LED brake/taillight made for trailers. The actuator will be up to your own ingenuity. They have distinct low-high output levels and are bright enough to show up in sunlight from a distance, unlike any poser kiddie-toy bike-specific ones you're likely to find.

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff237/mechBgon/light_bar_2.jpg

Something I have to soldier together with electronics and a circuit board is out of the question. I am confident someone makes the type of lights I want. It's just a matter of finding them.

Hand signals do not work. At night cars cannot hardly see them and most drivers don't know what they mean anyway. A bright red light will tell them I am stopping. A hand signal will get you run over with a good change of getting your arm ripped off. I find most cyclist naively rely on hand signals too much and take for granted that the driver behind him will know what it means. That's just Not safe or smart.

Clearly the rest of the world does not share your paranoia or there would be commercially available turn signals and brake lights that were considered "must have's" by everyone.

Good quality custom LED strips work great, look good and handle both running, brake and turn signals. But you have to provide power and switching yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6odr9Ex8_GY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdtFGaINz_c

The OP is riding 20-30 mph at night and doesn't want cagers to get in his way? And he calls NYC people rude...

Dude, what you ask for is readily available on motorcycles and scooters. Those are considered by the masses as transportation, so people expect and demand them. Bicycles, on the other hand, are seen more as fitness/recreational toys.

If you really need to use signals to guarantee your safety.... well, you can't.

Don't fall for the notion that you can safely change lanes just because your turn signals are blinking.

Something I have to soldier together with electronics and a circuit board is out of the question. I am confident someone makes the type of lights I want. It's just a matter of finding them.


Why is it out of the question? You would have to solder about 16 joints. That would take what, half an hour if you were frighteningly meticulous? I already found them, in the parts bin at Radio Shack. :) It would run you about $20-30.

Even if you had a brake light, motorists wouldn't realize what it is. They would just see it as a tail light.

As others have said if more people thought that it was needed, someone would make them.

I've been coming here a long time, and can't remember this ever coming up.

Based on his other post, I'd say TROLL and lock the thread.
John Phoenix
scooter like center console for bike?

I want to add a lot of electronic stuff to my bike but am out of handle bar room. I want right and left mirrors, an alarm system, turn signals, my watt-meter. I already have this room taken up with grips, brake levers, power switch for the electric, throttle, and shifters.

I was thinking of a center console to mount all this stuff.. you know like the console on a scooter where the handle bars would be. Is there one made for bikes to mount to the goose neck just behind the handle bars - or something like that?

If not, what are your other thoughts on solving this problem?

I was waiting for him to inquire about mounting a fairing before throwing the flag on the field...

Based on his other post, I'd say TROLL and lock the thread.
John Phoenix
scooter like center console for bike?

I want to add a lot of electronic stuff to my bike but am out of handle bar room. I want right and left mirrors, an alarm system, turn signals, my watt-meter. I already have this room taken up with grips, brake levers, power switch for the electric, throttle, and shifters.

I was thinking of a center console to mount all this stuff.. you know like the console on a scooter where the handle bars would be. Is there one made for bikes to mount to the goose neck just behind the handle bars - or something like that?

If not, what are your other thoughts on solving this problem?


My other thread has nothing to do with this one. If you want to reply to that thread you can but you should not cross post.

I asked legitimate questions about parts for my bike in that thread and this one. News Flash for you folks. Many people do modify their bikes. They are still bikes and the questions do belong in the right place, this gadgets forum.

The Trolls in this thread are you, and others who say " they don't make that because I never heard of it" or " You won't find that info here" . Your post above does not contribute to answering my thread question at all. Therefore, it is a troll post. Grow up people. If you don't have a good answer for the thread ie. helping me find the equipment I asked for, then simply do not post.

The OP is riding 20-30 mph at night and doesn't want cagers to get in his way? And he calls NYC people rude...

Dude, what you ask for is readily available on motorcycles and scooters. Those are considered by the masses as transportation, so people expect and demand them. Bicycles, on the other hand, are seen more as fitness/recreational toys.

Bikes are designed to be real transportation for adults. Motorcycles and scooters already have built in turn signals, bikes do not. Thus the need for the parts. As I have said, many people do mod their bikes. I am sure I am not the only bicycle person on earth to want to do this.

If you really need to use signals to guarantee your safety.... well, you can't.

Don't fall for the notion that you can safely change lanes just because your turn signals are blinking.

I have no illusions of the lights guaranteeing my safety. I want better visibility and better signaling then what can be done by hand at night. Sure any car rider can ignore these but I feel since cars are more used to brake lights and turn signals than hand signals, they are more apt to know my intentions and drive accordingly concerning my situation.

Why is it out of the question? You would have to solder about 16 joints. That would take what, half an hour if you were frighteningly meticulous? I already found them, in the parts bin at Radio Shack. :) It would run you about $20-30.

I have a nervous condition that prevents steady hands when trying to do things like solder.

Even if you had a brake light, motorists wouldn't realize what it is. They would just see it as a tail light.

As others have said if more people thought that it was needed, someone would make them.

I've been coming here a long time, and can't remember this ever coming up.

I disagree. I see how car riders react to small scooters, many of them even smaller than my bike. They take the small brake and turn signal lights as real legit safety and operating vehicle lights, cus that's what they are. My bike is also such a vehicle.

The notion that these are not needed for safety just because you ride a bicycle is silly and many bikers get run over every year without them. They do help even the score.

Good quality custom LED strips work great, look good and handle both running, brake and turn signals. But you have to provide power and switching yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6odr9Ex8_GY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdtFGaINz_c

Thanks I have seen some of these.. the switching is the hardest thing to find since for most scooters and motorcycles, they are already built in.

I was waiting for him to inquire about mounting a fairing before throwing the flag on the field...

What's a fairing ?

I have a nervous condition that prevents steady hands when trying to do things like solder.

Ah, well that's a good reason. Maybe you could get someone else to do it? I think it would be the best solution, you could use lights of whatever brightness you want, and an setup you could imagine. I did find these: http://store.trekbikes.com/jump.jsp?itemID=1531&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1,2,15,478,480&iProductID=1531&bShopOnline=1
They don't blink, but it would sure light you up. Of course it looks like they were made for drop bars, but I imagine you could get bar ends to hold them.

There is nothing 'wrong' with wanting such signalling systems on a bike. I am very happy with mine and people behind appreciate the brake signals etc. However, I quickly learned the market offers next to nothing due to the cost. There just isn't a big enough market for a proper signalling system that costs hundreds of dollars. Something reliable and bright enough to be useful will be expensive and will be a custom build. The one I put together cost $200+ easy...

I have the cheap one you first linked to. It works ok, but I really only use the turn signals/taillight at dusk (usually the latest I'm out) and rarely use anything other than the horn (my wife bought it for me, so I leave it on there though I've since disconnected the brake light). I wonder if you could use the switches somehow but your own lights/power source or if that would burn out the cheap wires.

Your from New York. The rudest city on the planet. I know. I lived there. No those jack wagons won't give a whip but people in other places do. I go 20 to 30 mph on my bike regularly. At night, I need to see and be seen for safety. They need to know my intentions so they can act accordingly and not get in my way. My city does not have bike lanes and we have to by law share the street with cars. They KNOW this and accept it. Yes, people will care and do. The notion that they do not is utter silliness.

Although most road-rage and violence against cyclists stories come from other places :D I'm not disagreeing though, NYC sucks.

I have the cheap one you first linked to. It works ok, but I really only use the turn signals/taillight at dusk (usually the latest I'm out) and rarely use anything other than the horn (my wife bought it for me, so I leave it on there though I've since disconnected the brake light). I wonder if you could use the switches somehow but your own lights/power source or if that would burn out the cheap wires.

...or use http://www.electricscooterparts.com/switches.html (SWT-30) This will only switch low currents so relays can be used for high power headlights, etc.

You can:
- use an LED-compatible motorcycle flasher for the turn signals
- use reed relays for the brakes (there are some brake levers with these built in available from ebike kit distributors)
- use a 3S LiPo battery for a nominal 12V, high energy density power source (you would also need appropriate charging equip!!!)
- put everything but the switches and lights in a little plastic project box.

I used 3s, 5Ah LiPos for a while. They would last for many weeks on a charge even with regular use. With a higher voltage source (i.e. a bike with an e-assist battery) a DC-DC converter off the main power battery is even more convenient...

What's a fairing ?

It's a drag reducer that would also serve to keep your "throttle" hand warm on those chilly 80 degree mornings.

I disagree. I see how car riders react to small scooters, many of them even smaller than my bike. They take the small brake and turn signal lights as real legit safety and operating vehicle lights, cus that's what they are. My bike is also such a vehicle.

Not really, no.

My point has nothing to do with extra visibility or better signaling than hand signals can do.

I have a partial point about making them wide enough so drivers who are far away can tell what they are. You'd need a central red taillight plus outboard amber lights.

My real objection to turn signals on bikes, though, is because of the speed difference between bikes and cars, and that if you're doing things truly safely, you won't need to rely on signals.

One of my earlier posts from another thread:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?455286-Why-don-t-I-see-turn-signals-on-bicycles&p=7311859&viewfull=1#post7311859



I think that most of us are missing the point.

(pre-PS: I'm going to assume a utopian society where people actually USE their turn signals ;) )

Where turn signals really earn their keep is when a vehicle is about to change lanes (which, in effect, includes turning off the roadway; but I'll stick with lane changes for the moment). Giving the signal before changing lanes notifies drivers nearby, including the one sitting in the blind spot. They can either make sure that there's room or honk to warn the first driver that they can't move.

One big difference between bicycles and cars/trucks/motorcycles/buses/scooters is the speed differential. You're just not going to have a motor vehicle nearby for more than a few seconds (unless you're in a traffic jam, in which case you'll probably be moving faster than everyone else anyway). There's little use, then, in lighting up a turn signal.

Making a right turn on a bike (on right-hand drive streets, that is) doesn't affect surrounding traffic very much; giving a hand signal is as much of a courtesy as anything else, probably appreciated more by cross traffic waiting at the intersection than by the people behind you.

Making a left turn across the street shouldn't affect traffic very much, either. If you're crossing over safely, you're using a large enough gap in traffic that you won't be forcing people to jam their brakes (and, most likely, causing a rear-end collision somewhere behind them... which is in another thread). So, then, there's nobody near & to the rear that needs to see a signal.

I figure the safest way to ride on the street is to ride as if nobody can see you -- don't depend on their attentiveness for your safety. I still think that good headlights & taillights are necessary, and a brake light is a good idea (and easy to implement with a B&M DIWA generator setup). But, I think that turn signals just aren't necessary.

IMO.

Thinking about the speed differential part --

This makes it a very narrow market indeed.

Motor traffic rarely trundles along at 12-15 mph. They're either stopped, crawling in first gear at 5 mph, or hustling at 25 mph or faster. If you're going to be fast enough to need to be signaling with lights, you're saying that you can cruise for a while -- on city streets, with starts and stops -- at 25-30 mph or more.

If traffic is jammed, you can pass everyone else without going too fast yourself. You don't need to signal then. If they're all going faster than you, you can try signaling, but they're going to be bearing down on you pretty quickly -- and you'd better hope that they see you, AND hope that they don't cause another wreck while trying to avoid you.

Turn signals, then, and IMO, are only useful when you're going the same speed as motor traffic when they're cruising, and that range starts at 20 mph. Think of how many cyclists you know who can do that, and then think of how many more you know who can't ride that fast.

I go 20 to 30 mph on my bike regularly. .

There ya go. He definitely needs turn signals.

There ya go. He definitely needs turn signals.

"He" is a market of "1".

If he can keep that up all the way across DC, then he might be able to justify it. At that point, though, his team van should be able to run blocker for him anyway.

Bicycle turn signals are most definitely produced. Can't speak of the quality, but they could be the start of a DIY project.

http://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&channel=s&hl=en&source=hp&q=bicycle+turn+signal&btnG=Google+Search#q=bicycle+turn+signal&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=JRv&sa=G&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=s&prmd=ivs&source=univ&tbs=shop:1&tbo=u&ei=0HbYTOe4F4WClAfAp4yACQ&oi=product_result_group&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CCMQzAMwAA&biw=1280&bih=860&fp=c112f931f5c7aed6

Bicycle turn signals are most definitely produced. Can't speak of the quality, but they could be the start of a DIY project.

http://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&channel=s&hl=en&source=hp&q=bicycle+turn+signal&btnG=Google+Search#q=bicycle+turn+signal&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=JRv&sa=G&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=s&prmd=ivs&source=univ&tbs=shop:1&tbo=u&ei=0HbYTOe4F4WClAfAp4yACQ&oi=product_result_group&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CCMQzAMwAA&biw=1280&bih=860&fp=c112f931f5c7aed6

In his first post the OP mentioned the cheap chinese setup that is available and indicated that he wanted something better. It appears to me like the cheap one he referreed to is what you have linked to.

Some good points, BarracksSi. There is a tendancy to make this a black and white issue though when it is rather more shades of grey when all variables are duly considered.

The frustration for those who want or need such devices, is that the commercial bicycle signals invariably perform poorly in one or more areas - reliability, durability, brightness and/or a lack of separation of indicators, for example.

Some good points, BarracksSi. There is a tendancy to make this a black and white issue though when it is rather more shades of grey when all variables are duly considered.

The frustration for those who want or need such devices, is that the commercial bicycle signals invariably perform poorly in one or more areas - reliability, durability, brightness and/or a lack of separation of indicators, for example.

Yeah. I don't get as far as whether they're technically feasible (which they are) -- I just don't think that they're necessary. Just because we can engineer a working set doesn't mean that they'll do any good in the real world.

What's a fairing ?

See the windscreen? It's part of the fairing.http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQi90GMAkrHd3NzUAxX8zO1DxvkUYE4Mm6cmv1Hs3CH4UCFk5I&t=1&usg=__PnTwKwxALVMhSUL3lcDoLHt1VJA=

See the windscreen? It's part of the fairing.

And/or look for posts by BF user "hotbike".

Another option may be this-
http://www.night-gear.com/Detail.bok?category=Hi+Vis+Womens+Apparel&no=735
177439
I was thinking of getting a pair for my pre-dawn commute

those look awesome.

I'm rather sure motorists would understand such a device, however I prefer to use what battery power I have for a very good tail light. If I wish to make a sharp turn at night, I just slow down a bit and make sure I'm clear.

I know you said you mostly jsut wanted to buy something but if you can work up the courage this is an excellent "How To" on making turn signals (http://www.instructables.com/image/FRCII3VFHY0I8RW/turn-signal-biking-jacket.jpg). Here is a picture:

http://www.instructables.com/image/FRCII3VFHY0I8RW/turn-signal-biking-jacket.jpg

That's not me in the picture obviously, it's from the tutorial. I recently just ordered all the parts and will build one myself. I'll let you know how it goes.